I think my 4 month old is dehydrated!!! Need advice please!!!

[Beating Earth]

My son is almost 4 months old.
Today the temp in the house was up around 30 degrees. Freaking hot!!!
He hasn't nursed well since around 2 this afternoon before his nap. Since then he has woken up to scream uncontrollably. I had to get in the tub with him around 8 just to cool him off to get him to calm down.
He will sleep for a few minutes at a time but wakes up crying and refuses to nurse. I think he has a bit of gas but this seems excessive for gas.
Please help me help my baby.

[jabeen]

Sorry your baby isn't feeling well! Did you take his temperature? Aside from dehydration, I'd be worried about a possible ear infection...I'd take him to be checked in am. I don't think he'd be waking up crying from being too hot...

[Beating Earth]

Would he not be trying to pull at his ears if he had an infection?
I took his temp under his arm and it says normal but i know that's not the most accurate way to take it.
He does have some white spots on his gums, uppers and lowers. Could he possibly be teething?! If that's the case I feel so sorry for my little guy. He's too young for any kind of pain medication isn't he?

[sunnygir1]

He could be teething, or the white spots could be thrush, which can be painful and disrupt breastfeeding.

My ds has had trouble sleeping when it is too hot, so it's possible that is a factor.

[Beating Earth]

The white spots have been there since birth almost, so I don't think it was thrush. He has nursed fabulously up to today. If it is teething how can I help him? He's still so little.

He is also a bit pale. I can put him right to the breast and he shows no interest at all. He doesn't even swallow what I express into his mouth. I'm really starting to worry.

Second edit, sorry. Now I can't even keep him awake to try to nurse. As soon as hes at the breast his eyes close and he drifts off.

[Nicole730]

I would definitely call the nurse hotline...if you have access to one. I hope everything is okay!!

My four month old slept a ton today, we had a long weekend and she is getting over a cold, plus it's super hot. But, she would still nurse - even though she woke up screaming...

[mumkimum]

Couldn't hurt to call a nurse hotline. They'd specifically know what to look for if you suspect dehydration.

For me, I'd take that behavior as a sign of teething. Dd2 (3.5 mo) has acted similarly lately (though possibly not so extreme - tad less interested in nursing, more upset when waking, seems hot - freaking hot here too). We'll let her gnaw on our fingers or a frozen washcloth (also use that to pat around her head, etc) and that'll usually get her to calm down. If you feel bumpier or swollen gums, that'd be it.

[stik]

If my 4mo was too sleepy to nurse after a day of discomfort, I would call the nurse line and seriously contemplate a trip to the ER. Please give that some thought - lethargy in babies and children is a quite serious sign that something is wrong.

Additional signs of dehydration include a lack of wet diapers, no tears when crying, and a dry mouth.

But regardless, if you can't wake the baby to nurse and it's been a while (so he should be hungry), and he's pale and not swallowing and you are worried, he needs medical attention.

[jennybear]

That sounds serious. Please take him in ASAP.

[Beating Earth]

I did call our nurse hotline and was told that I was doing everything right. That he was getting enough since he had had a couple of wet diapers so I felt a bit better.
After I hung up the phone DS vomited yellow mucousy stuff so I called back. That changed everything!
It was recommended that we take a trip to the ER to get him checked out, so we did.
By the time we got there (he had had a good sleep in the car, for the first time that day) he looked 100% better. He was smiling and bouncy just like normal. We had him checked out anyway and the DR said he looked fine but still wanted to do a catheter to check for a UTI.
Since DS is intact I asked about how that would be done in regards to retraction and he said that it's ok to do sometimes. I disagreed and my husband and I decided that since DS was back to his normal self with NO other signs of any infection that we wouldn't be risking my sons forskin for something that may not need to be done.
Anyway, we got home very early this morning, went to bed and everyone slept very well. DS is still his normal happy, bubbly self today and we will definitely keep an eye out for any signs of UTI and try to keep him cool today.
Thanks for all your responses!!

[sunnygir1]

Oh, I'm so glad your lo is feeling better and that you took him in. I sort of missed the title of your post, I guess. Dehydration is so serious; I'm glad that you got better advice from someone else.

At 4 months I would take it very seriously; my nephew was very ill around 3 months from a virus and had a serious round with dehydration that wound up with a couple weeks in the hospital.

I probably would have refused the catheter too. Hopefully he just had a little bug or a little heat or teething sickness and will be better now.

My dd cut her first teeth at 4 months. I got her an amber teething necklace, gave her crushed ice in a washcloth (secured with a rubber band), and gave her teething tablets. It was tough, though.

[blessedwithboys]

glad the bub is better! and good for you for protecting his foreskin.

WRT teething and pain relief, we loved hyland's teething tabs

[texmati]

good for you for refusing the cath! glad to hear he's feeling better.

[Beating Earth]

I feel better knowing I was right to refuse the cath. I was really hoping I wouldn't get flamed for refusing "medical attention", LOL. It felt almost like they wanted to do it just to do it, ya know.

[Lauren31]

Aren't there other ways to check for a UTI in a baby? Sometimes I think docs see an intact boy and assume it's GOT to be a UTI. Just my own opinion....

[Beating Earth]

I'm not sure but they never offered another way to do it and since they never saw DS without his diaper I don't think it was because he is intact, thank goodness.